Tyler Shough has been criticized for his inability to stay healthy during his collegiate career. This issue persists as he nearly got hurt in his first start, and the New Orleans Saints offensive line must protect Shough in order for him to start for the remainder of the season.
ESPN's Katherine Terrell reported that Shough couldn’t close his jaw properly until Tuesday because of a hit he suffered against the Los Angeles Rams. He is fully healthy heading into week 10 but this still creates concerns about his durability. His talent doesn’t matter if he’s not on the field.
Just because there are concerns doesn’t mean he should be labeled as injury-prone. He’s missed tons of time with injury but none are persistent issues, such as a hamstring for a wide receiver. He broke his collarbone twice and his fibula once in college. These aren’t likely to happen again.
The Saints offensive line needs to improve
The offensive line is a major concern for the Saints. The tackles are young, but great. Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks both have room to improve but are capable of protecting Shough. The worries are more on the interior.
This group fell apart after Erik McCoy suffered a season ending injury. In addition, starting left guard Trevor Penning was traded on Tuesday. This leaves Cesar Ruiz as the singular week one starter remaining, who has been criticized for his play when McCoy is injured. Luke Fortner and Dillon Radunz will both have to step up.
The easiest way to get pressure against New Orleans is right up the middle, and it's the most impactful versus any offense. This is what made players like Aaron Donald so dangerous. Shough has consistently struggled against pressure in his career, so having a faltering interior is not a recipe for his future success or health. The offensive line needs to improve in a hurry for Shough to have any impact in his rookie season.
Tyler Shough already had an injury scare in his first career start. Questions about his durability are already being brought up. The offensive line needs to silence these questions and protect their rookie quarterback. It will be the difference between him having a successful, or an injury-riddled first season.